European Tour's regular-season finale extends into Monday in Spain, with futures of several veteran players unclear

European Tour's regular-season finale extends into Monday in Spain, with futures of several veteran players unclear

Five days but only three rounds, that is going to be the story of the Andelucia Valderrama Masters. Previously reduced to 54 holes due to bad weather early, the tournament backed by the Sergio Garcia Foundationâ"and led by the eponymous hostâ"was further delayed by thunder and lightning storms during what should have been the fourth and final day.

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Through seven holes of his third round, Garcia is 10 under par and holds a three-shot edge over former World No. 1 Lee Westwood, with Shane Lowry and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano one stroke further back. Garcia had begun his third round with a four-shot lead after a best-of-the-week s even-under-par 64 on Saturday. Play is schedule to re-start Monday at 9:10 a.m. local time (3:10 a.m. EST).

The decision to extend the eventâ"which Garcia has already won twice, including last yearâ"by 24 hours was straightforward, understandable and justifiable all in one. As the last regular season-event on the 2018 European Tour calendar before the three-strong Race to Dubai playoff series begins with the Turkish Airlines Open, the AV Masters represents the last chance for those players vying for all-exempt status in 2019. Officially, the top 110 on the Race to Dubai rankings attain such a position, but this year that number rises to 116 after the elimination of six ineligible players on what used to be the Order of Merit.

So it is that the likes of Fernandez-Castano, a seven-time winner on the European Tour, will perhaps be under even more pressure than the leader over the closing hol es. The 38-year-old arrived at the 1997 Ryder Cup venue in 125th spot on the Race to Dubai. The same can be said for Scotlandâs Marc Warren and Englandâs Matthew Nixon. Both started the week outside the top 116, both are four under par, and both need a strong finish to move up enough to save their cards.

Fernandez-Castano needs to close well at Valderrama on Monday in order to secure his European Tour card for 2019.

Others with even more tenuous holds on their playing credentials for next season include former U.S. Amateur champion Richie Ramsay and six-time tour winner David Horsey. Ramsay arrived in 124th place and is one-under par (T-20) with six holes to play. The 116th-placed Horsey is T-40 with only four holes left.

Already condemned to visiting the tour school is former BMW PGA Champion Matteo Manassero, who missed the halfway (or should that be two-thirds?) cut this week. The same fate also looks likely for another Italian, Edoardo Molinari. The elder brother of Open champion Francesco, and another former U.S. Amateur winner, is T-31 standing on the 16th tee, having begun the week in 137th place on the Race to Dubai.

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